Wiley’s Walk
Join the journey. Walk the path.
Writing by Kerry Ann Wiley about disability, adaptation, participation, and the difference between access and inclusion.
New on Wiley’s Walk
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A Vaction from the ‘isms’
Vacations are supposed to create distance. They offer space from work, from routines, and from the endless to-do lists that seem to govern the hours. Vacations suggest that rest is possible, that the body and mind can recover when placed in new…
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When The Signal Blinks Too Soon
A crosswalk chirps as a bus hisses to a stop. Somewhere, a sensor fails to trigger, and the door remains closed. A wheelchair user turns away while the light changes. A person with walking poles begins crossing but does not make it…
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Where Love Once Lived
Some things hold on longer than they should. They take in pressure, adjust to strain, and stretch to contain what was never meant to be there. They keep holding, reshaping themselves beyond recognition—until they can’t anymore. Then they break. The moment is…
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Learning to See in the Dark
“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”—Sarah Williams, The Old Astronomer to His Pupil (1868) A terminal hums with its ordinary mix of noise.…
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The Space Between Strangers
Curiosity can open doors, but it can also cross thresholds uninvited. It draws people together, closing the space between them. A question, a comment, or a glance that lands just right can bridge the gap between strangers and turn a silent moment…
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Beyond the Gaze
Pity wears comfort’s face. It speaks in gentle tones, its gaze saying, “I can’t imagine going through that.” Sometimes it smiles and adds, “You’re handling it so well.” At first, that may feel like recognition. Soon, it shifts. Struggle draws the eye.…
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The Line That Will Not Mend: When Silence Becomes the Hardest Word
Shadows linger in the room. Light creeps across the table. A clock ticks unseen. The moment should pass, but it doesn’t. A question has been placed between two people, and in its arrival the light hardens. The warmth drains, and what remains…
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Questions at C17
The terminal is filled with the blur of voices, gate announcements, and the steady rhythm of footsteps. The scent of coffee blends with the salty aroma of pretzels from the nearby kiosk. An hour before my flight, I sit in an airport-issued…
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WCAG: The Standard That Defines Inclusion
In many professional settings, public spaces, and online environments, accessibility is often treated as an optional add‑on, something to consider only after other priorities are addressed. For individuals who do not experience disability, the absence of obstacles in their own experiences can…
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Memory’s Quiet Skin
Recognition (Prologue) From the next room, a song played low and steady, as if it had been left on and forgotten. The lyrics filtered through, faint and fractured, thinned by distance. Yet, something in the sound caught—a flicker of familiarity, an uninvited…